Chris Christie pardons the parent of one of his son's schoolmates


New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has only granted clemency to 29 people since taking office, and last week he added the parent of one of his children's schoolmates to that list, NJ.com reports.
Joseph Michael Longo pleaded guilty in 2016 to falsely reporting how much he paid workers, a crime for which he was sentenced to two years probation and fined $300,000, Politico reports. But Longo and Christie were apparently pretty familiar with each other before the pardon. The pair both have sons who attended Delbarton School, a private Catholic academy, and their daughters apparently both attended the all-girls Villa Walsh Academy:
Longo additionally donated $500 to Christie's 2009 gubernatorial campaign, and his business, Longo Electrical-Mechanical, Inc., donated a total of $1,050 to Christie and inaugural campaigns in 2009, 2010, and 2014, NJ.com reports.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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